War & Decline

The First World War - Frederic Gibbs Collection

World War I photograph, Western Front, France (43)

Period:

20th Century

Description:

Black and white photograph of two British soldiers, one cutting the other's hair. Army regulations stated that hair must be kept short, but a shaved head was an advantage when lice was such a common problem.

This photograph is one of a collection of 71 taken or collected by Frederic Gerald Gibbs (1888 - 1940). Gibbs was a professional photographer in Annan who joined the Royal Engineers in 1916. He was sent to the Western Front and spent two years there until he was injured just a few days before the end of the war. He survived and brought home these images which were found by his daughter after his death.